MUSHROOMS AND LEMONY PEARL BARLEY SALAD

Ingredients 

• 300g mushrooms
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 400g precooked pearl barley
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 4 finely sliced spring onions
• 100g finely sliced pink radishes
• 100g halved cherry tomatoes
• 50g roughly chopped pitted olives
• 50g sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• Handful roughly chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp pistachios roughly chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method 

1. Wipe any mud off the mushrooms and slice them finely. Heat the oil in a large sized flat plan until it is hot but not smoking. Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally to allow the mushrooms to take on colour. In the last minute of cooking when the mushrooms look caramelised, add the cumin and chilli powder- stir well and turn off the heat, allowing the mushrooms to cool.

2. Add the pearl barley to a large bowl followed by the lemon juice, spring onions, radishes, cherry tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes and parsley. Season generously with salt and mix everything well.

3. Lay the pearl barley salad onto the base of a large platter. Strew over the sautéed mushrooms and garnish if desired with pistachios and pomegranate seeds.

To Note:

Keeps well in the fridge for a few days.